Our Programs

Summary of Service Programs

Give the Gift of Sight

With more than 44,000 Lions Clubs in 185 countries and geographical areas and more than 1.4 million members, Lions Clubs International is the world’s largest service organization. One of their major goals involves eyesight. Helen Keller, in 1925, challenged the world’s Lions to become the “knights of the blind” in the crusade against darkness. In response, the Lions Clubs established a broad-reaching organization – The Sight First Program – that works on several different levels to support vision care.

Across the United States, regional Lions Eyeglass Recycling Centers clean, repair, and classify glasses collected through the Give The Gift Of Sight. The eyeglasses are then distributed free-of-charge to needy individuals around the world.

It doesn’t take much effort to drop off that old pair of spectacles at your local business or Lions Club. And even if you don’t wear eyeglasses yourself, encourage others to bring in their old eyeglasses. When you think about it, this small gesture can make a world of difference to a needy person.

Through the generosity of the following businesses and agencies, the Fairfax Host Lions Club provides eyeglass collection sites. Please bring your used eyeglasses to one of these locations and help us in this very worthy project.

Business

Location

Wal-Mart

Fair Lakes Center

Fairfax Nursing Center

Main Street

Pan Am Optical

PanAm Shopping Center

Fairfax County Govt. Ctr.

Library suite 123

Pearl Vision Center

Kamp Washington

American Legion Post 177

Oak Street

Safeway

Courthouse Plaza

Learning In Retirement Institute, Geo. Mason Univ.

Roberts Road

Mosby Hairstylists

Main Street

Fairfax City Regional Library

Chain Bridge Road

Chantilly Regional Library

Stringfellow Road

Centreville Regional Library

St. Germaine Drive

For Eyes Optical Company

Lee Highway

Hour Eyes Fairfax Shops

Lee Highway

Fairfax Opticians

Main Street Medical Building

Hour Eyes at FairOaks

Fair Oaks Mall

Dr. Bremel

Main Street

Dr. Notes

Main Street

Providence Presbyterian Church

Little River Trnp

Everly Funeral Home

Main Street

Eyeglasses for Those Eligible for Financial Assistance

Fairfax county residents, eligible for financial assistance, as defined by the commonwealth of Virginia, may get appointments to the Lions Eye Clinic in the Fairfax Hospital complex. The county Health Department makes these appointments.

When the client only needs a prescription for eye glasses, the client gets the prescription and the Lions Club closest to where the client lives is notified. The Lions Club then notifies the client and tells them where to go to get their glasses. The Lions clubs pays the provider for the glasses provided.

If the examination identifies more serious eye conditions such as cataracts or other conditions, the doctors at the clinic will treat the condition for the client at no cost if the patient is eligible for financial eligibility.

The Virginia Lions Eye Institute Foundation (VLEIF) provides $50,000 annually to help INOVA with the expenses associated with the Lions Eye Clinic. VLEIF has also purchased the majority of all of the equipment associated with the clinic and provides new equipment when it is required. The Lions of the District have provided over $800,000 to the Lions Eye Clinic since it was started in 1954. The Fairfax County Health Department has supported this clinic since it’s founding, originally with office space and today as described above.

Music Scholarships for Local Youth

Each year, Fairfax Lions hold a vocal and instrumental competion among local youth, to win a scholarship. The event is called the “Bland Contest” and features expert music judges and very talented youth performers. Local winnrs advance to state-wide competitions.

Blood Drives

For many years, Fairfax Lions have held blood drives for the American Red Cross – two or three times a year. The blood collection location is Providence Presbyterian Church in Fairfax, VA. Since we began these blood drives, many years ago, Fairfax Lions are recognized for the donation of over 3300 units of blood! You can help by giving the gift of life sustaining blood at one of our blood drives.

Support for Vision Impaired in Vietnam

The Fairfax Lions Club awarded $1000 to support vision impaired children in Vietnam. In conjunction with Global Comunity Service Foundation, this program accomplished:

Skill training for 15 visually impaired children from Quang Tri Blind School was initiated in Vietnam. It includes two main components:

Training on food making

Training on incense making

The objective of these two types of training are:

To equip the children with skills on making basic food that can serve in the family

To provide them with a vocational skill in incense making

To build confidence for the children in doing cooking at home in order to support their family

To change the behavior of the parents towards the children

To prepare them with a job skill for their future

This project lasted 2 months with the first months dealing with food making and the second for incense making.

The first component was initiated with some food made for Tet (Vietnamese New Year). Teachers instructed the children on making pickles from papaya, chili, carrot and mustard green. The process includes washing, cutting, bottling and cleaning up. The children were very excited to take part in this training since they did not think they could do the cooking before. This training was repeated to make sure the children are able to master the process and can perform it back home with assistance from family members.

The next component was incense making training, and was equally suuccessful in providing the children with life skills of value in their community.

Youth Peace Poster Contest

Each year the Fairfax Lions Club selects the winning “Peace Posters” from local middle schools. Lions Clubs International has about 400,000 young persons around the world participate in this contest. The poster theme always relates to spreading peace across the world. Local (sponsored by the Fairfax Lions Club) posters are recognized in December each year. For example, in 2014 posters were created by: Seung Min Lee of Rocky Road Middle School, and Hailey Steen of Stone Middle School. Each youth received a $50 award from Fairfax Lions Club, and advanced to the next level of international competition.

Seung Lee and Hailey Steen to the left of Lion Jeff Root (Fairfax Lions contest chairperson)

A highlight of our Fairfax Peace Poster contests is the poster created by Jasmin Yoon in 2015. After winning at local and state level, Jasmin’s poster was selected in 2016 (one of 23 selected from 400,000 posters) for a merit award of $500. We congratulate Jasmin on her wonderful talent, illustrating her vision of peace uniting the world.

Jasmin Yoon of Rocky Run Middle School

Jasmin’s Winning Poster

Lions Deliver Holiday Dinners

25 Holiday Food Baskets – ready to deliver

Three times a year, the Fairfax Lions deliver holiday dinners to deserving families in the local area. Lions assemble complete Thanksgiving Food Baskets for 25 families. With verified lists of deserving families, Lions Club members delivered the meals. Lions are privileged to be able to help families enjoy a wonderful holiday meal!

Lion Marty loads turkey dinners to deliver

Fairfax Lions Conduct Vision Screening

Lions Sandy and Phil screen a guest at Fairfax’s Lamb Center

Fairfax Lions employ special hand-held vision screening equipment (see photo) to screen for possible vision problems among guests at Fairfax’s Lamb Center (and other venues). The screening allows us to advise persons of potential vision issues and recommend followup with a medical professional.

Lions Work to STOP DIABETES

Each year, we raise money from events such as our citrus fruit sale. Those monies are used across a variety of important charity programs to support our community. The thrust of our effort is to help focus attention on diabetes and research programs to stop diabetes. Individuals learn that Type 2 diabetes is largely preventable, and can be reversable through a combination of food choices, meal portions, and regular physical activity. We thank our community for supporting our various fund raising activities which enable Fairfax Lions to donate toward this critical effort targeted at the increasing eridemic of diabetes!

Lions Call Bingo at Fairfax Nursing Center

Among many service programs, the Lions provide financial aid for training or education of sight-handicapped individuals. This year they awarded 4 scholastic grants. FairfaxLions grants include $1500 each to Ms. Amemma Amin and Mrs. Ann Pimley. Both are legally blind. Amemma, 17, is a junior at Robinson HS and will use her grant to buy video magnifier technology to assist her in college. Ann is a student at George Mason University and will put her grant toward college tuition. The grants are made through Virginia Lions Eye Institute which is co-sponsored by Inova Health System. VLEI pays for equipment purchases, community education, scholarships, and clinical research across northern Virginia to help those with low-vision.

Lions Screen Vision of Special Needs Children

Fairfax Lions conducted vision screening of special needs children.

One in four school age children have a vision problem, yet only 10% of children needing glasses actually have them. We serve to help identify vision concerns early, so the child may receive corrective help as early as possible.

Fairfax Lions use the PediaVision Spot camera to screen children as young as 6 months for vision problems. Lions across Northern VA have access to many of these camera systems.

This is the screening tool – the PediaVision Spot camera…

Screening takes just a few seconds – this is what the child sees…

And what the camera reports…the customer receives a printed copy.

A happy customer being screened

Rugarama Hospital, Uganda

Our club played a significant role in working with Lions Clubs International and Truro Church in acquiring grants for Rugarama Hospital in Uganda. Please visit the hospital’s website at www.RugaramaHospital.org.

About the Fairfax Lions

We are one of 70 Lions clubs in Northern Virginia, all part of the largest service organization in the world. Being a member of the Fairfax Lions is a fun and rewarding experience. Our club has won the annual “best club” in the Region numerous times. We have dedicated members from all walks of life who share the pleasure of giving back to the community.